The present invention generally relates to navigation systems, and, more specifically, to global navigation satellite systems for positioning electronic devices.
Navigation systems and global positioning systems are widely used by electronic devices for determining their spatial locations. Global positioning systems are space-based satellite navigation systems, which provide the location information of a device, under any climatic conditions, irrespective of where ever the device is located on the Earth's surface. Specifically, a device is in communication with a configuration of GPS satellites revolving around the Earth, to identify its location. With a continuous unobstructed line of sight with four or more such GPS satellites, the device is capable of continuously determining its spatial location, including its coordinates (i.e., its latitude, longitude, etc.). More specifically, a GPS receiver embedded in an electronic device, precisely times signals received from GPS satellites revolving around the Earth, for example in geostationary orbit. Each GPS satellite continuously transmits messages that include information about the time when the message was transmitted, and the satellite's position at the time of transmission of the message. The electronic device uses these messages, computes the transit time of each message, and calculates its distance to the satellite. Eventually, certain algorithms and techniques like triangulation or trilateration are used by the device to determine the spatial location of its GPS receiver.
Conventionally, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are used by many electronic devices, including mobile devices, to determine their spatial locations. Measurement errors ranging within a few meters are provided by these systems, while depicting the position of the device on a map rendered on a display screen of the device.
In a case, for example, where a mobile device is located within an indoor area, many services and applications within the device may require detailed information pertaining to the indoor spatial location of the device, to function properly. In such cases, the conventional navigation systems require considerable time to determine precisely the position the device. Further, many GNSS systems are unable to operate indoors, and the GNSS data required for the functionality of GNSS system, cannot be recorded, when the device is located indoors. Consequently, all the data gathered, when the device is located indoors, is highly inaccurate, and does not provide accurate indoor spatial positioning results. Also, many indoor area maps are not available, and this creates another major obstruction in determining a position of a device located indoors, as there are no points of reference available.
Therefore, considering the aforementioned problems, there exists a need for an effective and accurate method and a system for determining a position of a device located in an indoor area.